The six of us dispersed with our duos, trying to find a spot in the quickly forming line. Me and In-ho went towards the back of the line, Jung-bae and Gi-hun near the middle, and Dae-ho and 222 near the front. The panic in the room was evident. The players shoved, screamed, and fought—but for what? A good spot? That was entirely subjective. As the chaos grew a collective realization settled in: there was no advantage—where you were in line did not increase your survival. This realization only made the players more scared.

A sharp ding echoed throughout the room and everyone involuntarily stiffened. The person in front of me took a step back, forcing me to crash into In-ho—though, he felt more like a wall than an actual person. He caught me by my shoulders and held me upright as the man in front of me muttered a half-assed apology.

My gaze bore into the numbers on his back: 230. He was the one who was dancing during mingle yesterday. A laugh threatened to escape my lips, I'm honestly surprised he hasn't died yet.

An eerie tension spread throughout the room as a few guards entered, positioning the snaking line into a circle that spanned the length of the room. There was a track etched into the dirt so that we knew where to step. Though, it wasn't difficult if you just followed the person in front of you.

A few, unlucky souls were placed on the shadow of the doll's arch, their nervousness was apparent even from the side of the room where I stood. I noticed that three people could fit in between the arms on either side, meaning that each round approximately six people would be eliminated. Maybe more than six if someone was accidentally caught, but never less.

As I looked closer, I noticed that player 222 and Dae-ho were placed underneath the girls arms. Dae-ho stood behind 222, holding her in a hug. I could see his lips moving, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying.

I turned my gaze upwards, towards the doll. I noticed there was a blade on the bottom of the doll's arms. That would have been great to know. What lovely communication we have here between management.

So, if you were caught you would not only be crushed but also sliced to death. Or, if you were simply trapped you would be shot.

A cold chill went down my spine.

"Attention players, I will now repeat the rules. While the music plays, you will walk in a single file line around the room. When the music stops, those within the arms of the dolls will be eliminated."

I looked around the room and spotted Gi-hun and Jung-bae, both scanning the line in search of someone they recognized. Jung-baes' gaze landed on mine and his face instantly lit up.

"If you stop walking while the music is playing, you will be eliminated."

As my heart pounded in my chest, I caught Jung-bae giving me a thumbs up and Gi-huns forcing a smile.

"Please place your hands on the shoulders in front of you. If you let go before the song stops, you will be eliminated."

I tentatively put mine on 230's shoulders, he let out a scoff, but he knew better than to complain. I felt In-ho's warm hands on my shoulders and I had to suppress a shiver, I still wasn't used to his touch. Once they ensured everyone was following the rules, they started the game. The eerie childlike music filled our ears.

"Open the East, East, East, Grand Gate,"

We all moved as one, our steps almost perfectly in sync. It was as if we were one entity rather than 100 individuals with our own thoughts and desires to survive.

"Open the South, South, South Grand Gate,"

I passed under the girl doll. The cheery details of the wall were a stark contrast to the feeling of standing underneath the doll's arm. For that brief moment as I passed under her, my blood ran cold. It was a chilling reminder that in mere minutes I could be either crushed or shot to death. But, not really. This was one of those moments where I was eternally grateful that I had... special privileges.

"When it's at twelve sharp,"

In-ho both passed under the girl doll and were just about to reach the sunset.

"The gates are closed."

The doll's arms came crashing down with a loud creak, but that was drowned out by the sounds of screaming. Screaming, which turned to choked sobs and begs, which turned to the unmistakable sound of gunshots. Six of them, in fact, all in quick succession.

The man in front of me let out a gasp and muttered something under his breath, but I barely registered it. A thick cloud of dirt blocked my vision, making it nearly impossible to see the arena, much less individual players. But still, I searched. I had to make sure that they were okay.

As the dust cloud settled, I saw them. Gi-hun and Jung-bae were past the boy doll and 222 and Dae-ho were safe near the opposite wall. I let out a sigh of relief, only 4 more rounds to go.

"Please wait while we clean up." The voice in the walls announced and several guards came into the room. They split into two groups: three for the girl doll and three for the boy doll. All eyes in the room remained on them as they tagged the bodies and loaded them into the black coffins. Their freshly spilled blood remained on the dirt, a cruel reminder of what was to come.

The room filled with hushed conversations and nervous chatter. Everyone tried to reassure each other, but what could they say—that they would be okay? That would be a plain lie, so all they could do was grasp onto a thin sliver of hope and pray.

The workers forklifted the six coffins out of the room and moments later, the music started again.

"Open the East, East, East, Grand Gate,"

Past the sunset...

"Open the South, South, South Grand Gate,"

Past the colorful walls...

"When it's at twelve sharp,"

Past the indigo walls with stars...

"The gates are closed."

The arms came crashing down only a few feet from me. The shrring of the arms crushing bone and slicing through flesh was nauseating. Screams erupted from all directions and it took all I had not to cover my ears. I forced my hands to stay planted on my 230s shoulders.

Gunshots.

The metallic smell of blood filled the air moments later.

If I was being honest, it wasn't the smell or the sight of blood or death that bothered me—it wasn't new to me, after all. It was knowing that the bodies could be someone I cared about that got my heart racing.

It could very well have been Dae-ho or Gi-hun crushed to death before my very eyes and there would be nothing I could do about it.

The doors swung open and the guards came in to clean up the bodies.

As the dust cloud settled, I frantically searched around the room, trying to catch sight of the others. I saw Gi-hun first and a wave of relief washed over his face as we made eye contact. I watched as he said something to Jung-bae, but he was busy looking across the room trying to spot 222 and Dae-ho.

Gi-hun turned his gaze towards the room and I did as well—the more eyes looking the better. A few moments passed and I spotted them—inches away from the girl dolls arm. If they were a second slower, Dae-ho would have been sliced in half.

Even from a distance, I could tell that Dae-ho was pale and shaking. He was holding on to 222 and trying to comfort her, but he was very obviously nervous.

In-ho squeezed my shoulders, "They'll be alright." His breath brushed against my neck as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard and nodded. The tension in my body didn't ease, but I tried to relax— stressing and worrying wouldn't do me any good. I let out a hard sigh, I couldn't stand this lack of control.

The eerie music started again and my thoughts drifted to the strong, grounding hands on my shoulders. He has been unusually quiet this game, I could only wonder what was on his mind. Despite our growing closeness, I still couldn't get a good read on him. Some days he was kind—caring, even— but others he was cold and distant. Every day was a gamble, one that was becoming increasingly harder to win.

This time the room passed by in a blur as the music echoed throughout the room. My feet felt like they were cinder blocks, each step harder than the last. Only one thought echoed in my mind—for them to be safe.

As I passed under the girl doll a drop of blood landed on my face. Warm. It took all I had not to wipe it away.

"The gates are..."

"NO!"

The air left my lungs as I felt a harsh push on my back. I was sent flying into 230, no doubt pushing him forward as well.

"...Closed."

I heard the shrring of the arms falling just feet behind me. In-ho let out a harsh grunt as he steadied himself, and I did the same, pushing on 230's back as I stood up.

"What the fuck?" 230 complained in front of me. He obviously wanted an explanation as to why I pushed into him, but I was wondering the same. I said nothing and turned my head to look behind me. What happened could only be described as a bloodbath.

There was blood coating...everything. The dolls arms, the ground, In-ho, but most of all, the body splayed on the ground. Her body was cut in half—her legs and torso were on one side of the arm and her chest and head on the other side, our side. Her face was covered in blood and the silent plea of hope and desperation.

And despite it all, the doll had a wide grin plastered on her face.

I guess she tried to run away to escape the arms, but she ended up slicing herself in half. I swallowed, hard.

230 turned to look and he didn't say anything else, but I heard him fumbling with something and shoving something in his mouth. Whatever. There were far more important things to worry about than what he decided to take.

The dust cleared and the guards came in, and I started my routine of searching for the others.

This time, I found 222 and Dae-ho first. They were a bit past the boy doll—but safe. I gave them a thumbs up and turned back to the room.

As I scanned the line, the other players seemed to be more panicked. Since there were less people the chances of being killed next increased. Six people every round, everyone knew that. Everyone prayed it wasn't them.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Over there." In-ho pointed across the room where the sunset turned into night and there they were, safe— scared, yes—but safe.

The guards moved with a practiced efficiency but still took a bit longer than normal clearing the bodies. They tagged the bodies and loaded them into the coffins. Tedious, boring, and predictable—except for this time. I watched as they silently and quickly questioned what to do with the woman who was cut in half. Eventually, they decided just to load her first half in and then go back for her lower half.

Even for me—someone who had been a guard for years— the sight of her guts spilling out was hard for me to stomach.

The air felt suffocating, thick with the stench of blood and fear. Besides a few panicked whispers, the room was silent. The guards loaded the coffins onto the forklift and drove it out of the room, leaving only their spilled blood. The area around where the arms crashed down was surrounded by blood, dripping off the arms and seeping into the dirt and sand.

They left the room and the door shut with a loud bang. I took a deep breath to ground myself. Only two more rounds. I tried to reassure myself that they will be fine. Everything will be okay.

The music started again and the line tentatively started moving. Now, since the circle was smaller, we were veering off the dirt path just a bit. Our steps were forming a new path, one that we all instinctively followed.

"Open the East, East, East, Grand Gate,"

We walked past bright blue hues of the day area into the warm reds of the sunset area. That's when I heard it— a faint, almost whispering sound, barely distinguishable from the music blaring overheard.

"Open the South, South, South Grand Gate,"

The noise grew louder, unmistakable now. It was the sound of someone singing, someone right in front of me. I had to bite back a scoff, how could he possibly be singing? He must really be crazy.

"When it's at twelve sharp,"

He was louder now—almost yelling—and he even added in a little dance. Each step he took he shook his hips, almost like he was in a conga line. I'm sure every single player could hear him but no one cared enough to tell him to shut up.

"The gates are closed."

"The gates are closed~!"

He finished his song with a dramatic vocal flourish right as the arms came down. We were a few people away from the boy doll, but not far enough to avoid seeing their desperate faces. Those that didn't scream looked at us, a silent plea in their face like they wanted us to save them. Others tried to flee, but the workers shot them before they could get too far.

My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for the dust to clear. How the workers were able to shoot accurately through the dust never failed to amaze me. I couldn't see even a few feet in front of me. When I was a triangle it was for a short period, and thankfully this was never one of the games.

Finally it dissipated and I went searching. After moments of scanning I saw them. They were both safe, Gi-hun and Jung-bae were in the middle of the room near the entrance and 222 and Dae-ho were just past the girl doll—another close call. I could only thank whatever god was up there that they had survived this long.

As the workers came into the room to clear the bodies 230 started singing again, but this time it was a rap remix of the song. A few players turned to look at him in both amusement and pure disbelief. It was hard to believe that he was joking around at a time like this. His voice— slightly off beat and definitely off tune—carried through the tense silence, giving the players a distraction from the guards loading the bodies.

After he ran through the song a few times the workers finally finished their work, loading the bodies onto the forklift with a loud bang. The whole time the workers were working he was singing. The. Whole. Time.

I would consider myself a patient person but I was just about at my limit with him. I didn't know whether it was just because he was so close and so loud or if everyone else was getting annoyed too. But based on how In-ho gripped my shoulders and the annoyed sighs throughout the room, I wasn't the only one who was irritated.

I couldn't help the scoff that escaped my lips, "unbelievable." I thought I had said it quietly, but 230 trailed off.

It shut him up.

He turned, fully turned, and looked at me. Now that I was able to see his face it was obvious that he was high, his pupils were completely blown.

"What did you say, señorita?"

I stood there, silent. I knew better than to provoke a man, especially someone as unstable as him, but it seemed that he wanted an answer. I blinked, trying to decide what to say.

"Say, you are pretty, how did I miss seeing you?"

The hands on my shoulders tightened.

"I-" I started, though I didn't know what I intended to say. Every excuse just flew out of my brain leaving me standing there, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"When we get out of here, you should come spend the night with me..."

In-hos grip was unrelenting, his fingers press strong enough to leave a mark. I resisted the urge to move away and duck under the pressure.

I shook my head, hoping 230 would get the hint. He didn't.

A smirk spread on his face, "I can show you a good time."

I could practically feel In-ho's composure break behind me.

"Watch what you say to my wife." His voice came out low and gruff, almost like he was restraining himself.

230 froze for a second, his gaze traveling towards In-ho, who he clearly didn't notice a second earlier. Then, as if deciding to test his luck, he continued, "Your wife, huh?"

He leaned in so close that his breath brushed my cheek, as if he was sharing something that was only meant for my ears.

"I bet I could fuck you better then that old man ever could."

Snap

His anger was a tangible force, suffocating everyone but 230, who stood there unaffected with a sly grin on his face. He truly was crazy if he could stand there unaffected by In-hos anger. If there was something I've learned these past few years, it was that you definitely don't want to be on In-hos bad side. 230 was either oblivious or just plain crazy.

The whole room seemed to quiet, everyone's gaze lingered on the three of us.

His fingers pressed so hard into my shoulders that I let out a soft gasp and tried subtly shifting away, but he firmly held me in place.

I went to respond but In-ho beat me to it.

"Turn around so that this game kills you before I can." He practically growled. The shiver that went down my spine was undeniable. There was something in his tone—something that sounded like genuine offense—that caught me off guard. I hadn't expected him to get so worked up over me. Try as I might, I couldn't stop the blush that spread on my cheeks.

He turned around and I placed my hands on his shoulders just as the music started. I felt him roll his shoulders underneath my touch. He was clearly enjoying my touch.

"Open the East, East, East, Grand Gate,"

We passed underneath the boy doll. Since there were less people, we were passing through the arena quicker than before.

"Open the South, South, South Grand Gate,"

We passed the open space between the dolls.

"When it's at twelve sharp,"

We were nearing the girl doll a bit too quickly, before I knew it, I was inches away.

Slow down! Fuck!

"The gates are closed."

Time seemed to slow as I stood directly under the girl dolls' right arm. I froze, anticipating my fate of being sliced straight in half. The blade, gleaming with fresh blood, descended towards me at an impossibly quick pace. For a moment everything went silent except for the rush of my own pulse.

I just stood there, frozen, barely processing the sickening sound of metal slicing through the thick tension in the room. I didnt breathe, I didnt even gasp. I didn't even register the sharp yells and curses of the people in front of me.

So this was how I die. So much for being protected.

But as the blade was barreling towards me, another arm reached out and grabbed me. I was grasped and pushed back with so much force the breath was forced from my lungs.

In-ho.

He had grabbed me—yanking me out of the way right as the arms came crashing down mere centimeters from my face. He pulled me in towards his chest into a sort of hug. For a moment—a very, very brief moment— I appreciated his embrace.

The moment I crashed into him I heard a sharp, wet sound cut through the air. It was sickening. I didn't know who was cut—everything was moving too fast. Was it me? Was it player 230? Was I just imagining it?

The arms landed on the ground just inches from my feet.

My heart pounded in my head as I checked myself for injuries, deliberately avoiding the bloodbath in front of me. Everything felt intact—no pains or sharp cuts.

Then, behind me, a sharp gasp.

My stomach sunk. In-ho.

I whipped my head around to look at him and he was doubled over, pressing on his right arm. My breath caught in my throat. There was blood dripping from his crimson stained sleeve, dripping down his hand and forming a puddle near his feet. The fabric was torn from where the blade had cut his forearm, revealing his pale skin covered with bright red blood.

"In-ho!" I let out a choked gasp.

I quickly shrugged off my jacket and ripped a part of the sleeve to act as a bandage. Reaching my hand out, I gently grasped his arm like it would break under my touch. I tried wrapping the makeshift bandage around it, but it was difficult with the flowing blood.

He didn't flinch away but I could tell that it was hurting. His breaths were shallow and the tension in his shoulders was practically visible. It was bad. I wasn't a doctor—far from it. But I could tell that he needed stitches, now.

My hands shook as I wrapped the bandage around his arm. I stepped closer, closing the distance between us, and saw his clenched jaw and trembling fingers.

I brought my mouth to his ear, whispering something only intended for him, "You need to leave."

His glassy eyes flickered towards mine. He said nothing, only shook his head.

Gods, curse him for being so stubborn.

"It's never going to stop bleeding!" I gritted my teeth, whisper-shouting at him. "You need stitches!"

He let out a long, shaky sigh which ended in a pained laugh, "I'll live."

A voice echoed throughout the room, distracting all of us. "Attention players, congratulations on your win. Please follow the staff back to the main hall."

All hell broke loose. Players scrambled all around us, trying to push their way towards the front doors, desperate to escape the death filled room. Everyone wanted to be the first out of the blood soaked room, as if stepping through those doors would erase what had happened. People ran past us, parting like the red sea.

And through it all I stood there, grasping In-ho's blood soaked arm.

"Young-il!" Gi-hun called out with a big smile on his face.

A pit of dread formed in my stomach. I had been too focused on In-ho to even think about if they were alright. I said a quick prayer that Dae-ho and 222 had survived.

He and Jung-bae ran up to us, stopping dead in their tracks as they saw his arm.

"Oh..."

"Oh my god-"

They both said at the same time, In-ho gave them a mix of a grimace and a nod.

"Jesus, Young-il." Gi-hun leaned in towards In-ho's arm, like he was inspecting it, "We need to clean that."

Jung–bae, seemingly at a loss of words, enthusiastically nodded his head.

Dae-ho and 222 came hobbling over to us, both had the same look of shock and surprise when they spotted In-hos arm.

Before they could say anything, I suggested, "We should go to the main hall now and figure out a plan when we get there. We don't want to upset the guards." Everyone looked around the room, which was now deathly silent. There was not a soul in there besides us and a few guards cleaning the bodies. The unspoken tension weighed heavily in the room, none of us willing to acknowledge the bloodbath that happened just moments ago. We were all happy everyone survived.

Gi-hun was the first to agree, "Yeah, let's get out of here, alright?" He, no doubt, was feeling guilty. I couldn't blame him. This game had a way of making you think, what if it was me? What if I took their spot in line?

In-ho nodded, though his expression remained as unreadable as ever. He had his mask on again, hiding the pain he was obviously feeling. The others started making their way out of the room, but not before checking on In-ho who reassured them all that "he was fine, he could walk."

They all left the room, leaving just me, In-ho and a few guards, who minded their business, methodologically cleaning the bodies.

"Are you sure you are okay?" I asked him, whispering.

He hesitated a bit before nodding, "I'll be fine. It's just a scratch." I had to hold in a scoff, it was much, much worse than just a scratch, but I figured he didn't want me pestering him right now, so I dropped it.

"Why don't you leave, just go to the bathroom. The guards will announce your death." I looked up at him with wide eyes, practically begging. Desperation laced my voice, but I knew nothing I said would change his mind.

This was obviously what he should do, he needed medical attention. "You shouldn't put your life at risk for the game, not like this."

He let out a dull laugh, "This is a perfect opportunity to gain Gi-huns trust. And besides, I need to watch to make sure he doesn't do anything... extreme." The certainty in his voice left no room for argument, so I just held out my hand.

He took it with a grip so tight I thought he would crush it. It wasn't just for show—that much was clear. The more steps we walked up, the more he depended on me for support until he was fully leaning on me. His ragged breaths echoed throughout the colorful staircase.

"In-ho..."

I swallowed hard, readjusting my body so that I could better support him. His weight pressed against me and the added pressure made me stumble.

"I'm fine." He muttered, though it lacked his usual coldness. It was obvious he was struggling, it's only a matter of time before he passed out. But, if he wanted to be stubborn and refuse help, what could I do?

Finally, after readjusting our weight and struggling up the steps, we reached the main hall. The moment we stepped inside, the others rushed to help us. And yet, In-ho still stubbornly refused their help. His grip on me remained, growing stronger with every step.

This was going to be a long night...



AN: I got the lyrics to the song here: https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2022/03/dong-dong-dongdaemun.html

And thanks for reading! (if anyone even is lol)